PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 281 



niul extirpation the plant had ceased to possess a chiini to a place in the 



British Flora. Mr. Gwyn JettVeys remarked on tlie injury to science 



from the rapacity of collectors. Professor Balfour thought this was 



overrated. Plants were not easily extirpated by botanists. The Clova 



rarities showed no signs of diminution. Professor Balfour exhibited 



JuHcns effmns with both spirally-twisted and spirally-curled leaves. It 

 had been sent from Belfast by Mr. David Bishop, and propagated (by 



division) in Edinburgh Botanic Garden. Professor Thisellon Dyer 



mentioned the effect of spiral twisting, in Galium and Dlpsacns, in con- 

 verting a verticillate into a spiral arrangement of leaves. Tliis must 

 be distingnish'xl from the conversion of a verticil into a spiral by mere 

 elongation of the internodes, in which case there is no twisting of 



the axis. W. A. Lewis, " A Proposal for a Modification of the strict 



Law of Priority in Zoological Nomenclature in certain cases." This 

 paper gave rise to a discussion on the whole subject of priority. There 

 was a strong feeling amongst the botanists and entomologists present 

 to condemn bibliographical resurrectionists of obsoh-te names. Pro- 

 fessor Babington thought a name in use in foreign books should be 

 adopted to the sacrifice of our own, if really possessed of a prior claim. 

 He allowed, however, that there was a raking up which was very objec- 

 tionable. There was, it was true, an undoubted right to upset a generally 

 received name by one found in an obscure memoir or inaugural disserta- 

 tion, but it was a right which should remain in abeyance. It was justi- 

 fiable to correct a name which turned out to be wrongly applied ; this was 

 a proper recognition of the penetration and correctness of an overlooked 

 writer. As a mere result of obscure bibliography, the resurrection of 



obsolete names was a system which should be put a stop to. Professor 



'J'hiselton Dyer advocated common-sense as a useful principle in the 

 matter. It would be absurd to upset the name of Polygonnm, Persi- 

 cnria because applied to another species in the Linntean Herbarium. 

 Too much attention shoidd not be paid to the practice of French writers ; 

 they were notoriously perverse in such matters, witness their maintaining 

 the sole breach of uniformity in the nomenclature of the chemical elements, 

 in calling nitrogen azote, in opposition to the practice of every other 



country. Canon Tristram thought common-sense a dubious principle. 



Other speakers addressed the section from the zoological stand-point. 



Mr. J. Sadler, "On the Species of Grimuiia (including SchistiJiiiiii) 



as represented in the neighbourhood of Edinburgh." The principal dis- 

 tinction separating Schlsti/Hicm from Griininiu rests on the arbitrary 

 character of the adhesion or partial adhesion of the columella to the lid, 

 and should be neglected. In Greville's 'Flora Edinensis ' (1834-), six 

 species are described as occurring within ten miles of Edinburgh. In 

 Balfour and Sadler's 'Flora ot Edinburgh' (I8(i3), ten species are 

 eiuunerated ; in the second edition (1871) this is increased to fifteen. 

 Ten of these occur upon Arthur's Seat. AVith the exception of G.lrlcho- 

 phylla they are found to prefer the amygdaloidal trap, and very rarely 

 occur on the basalt in a very stunted and starved condition. At one,part 

 of the hill, where the upj)cr drive cuts the rocks to the back of the 

 basaltic columns of Samson's Ribs, there is an area of very limited extent 

 where the whole ten species can be collected in a few minutes. The 

 paper concluded with notes on the arrangement and distribution of the 

 Edinburgh species. G. coitferta, Funk, is abundant ou'sArthur's Seat in 



